The Salvation Army of Sacramento kicked off National Salvation Army Week today by hosting a volunteer food box packing project at its Family Services warehouse in the North Sacramento area. Among the volunteers who participated in this project were Sacramento River Cats pitcher Neil Wagner and pitching coach Scott Emerson. “You always like to give back to the community,” Emerson said. “Anytime you can help out and assist The Salvation Army, then it’s a plus. Giving of your time is important, too. If you can’t donate money, you can always donate your time.” The food boxes created from the volunteer project will eventually go to underprivileged families in the Sacramento area. Last year,

Salvation Army of Sacramento received more than 300 donated books from the students of Merryhill School of South Natomas today. The donation supports The Army’s Early Care and Education Program in Oak Park. “We wanted our students to have the opportunity to develop service leadership skills,” said Lezli Warburton, Merryhill principal. “It’s important for our children to understand their connection to the community and how they can give back.” Merryhill, a private school for pre-kindergarten through third grade, hosted the book drive for the last month. Parents and students were encouraged to donate books of various topics, including: alphabet, animals, colors, health and nutrition, music

The Salvation Army of Sacramento is looking for some volunteers to coach in its youth basketball league (13 and under, 10 and under, and 7 and under).   League organizers are seeking individuals with a basketball background and experience managing youth activities. Games are all played at The Salvation Army Ray Robinson Oak Park Community Center (located on the corner of Alhambra and Broadway). For more information, please call 916-469-4620.

“It’s getting cold out here.” Kelsey Cottle uttered this while ringing The Salvation Army bell outside Macy’s at Sunrise Mall.  Yet her fellow bell ringers did not care--they were having the time of their lives. “Yeah, they’re having fun,” Cottle said. Meet Carl Virgin and Eulogio Lizarraga--the jubilant bell ringers. Both have cerebral palsy and are confined to wheelchairs, but they do not let it deter their efforts to give back. “It just a good time for them to get out and people to see them,” said Cottle, who is Carl’s personal attendant through S.T.E.P. (Strategy To Empower People) services. “It’s great that they get to see them so happy and that they can do this (volunteer) like e

Wanted: turkeys or ham. That is what The Salvation Army needs for its upcoming Thanksgiving community meal.  "We need some additional donation so we can feed anyone looking for a hot meal this Thanksgiving," said Captain Hendrk Sumter, Salvation Army Sacramento County Coordinator.  "Every bit helps when we are serving a lot of people." More than 500 are expected to come to The Salvation Army Emergency Shelter in downtown Sacramento for the annual free meal.  The donated meat will used for that day and to feed the clients from the shelter program. Last week, California State Automobile Association of Northern California helped the cause by donating 31 turkeys.  Information about how to

More than 200 handbags were up for grabs during the October 15 Helping Handbags luncheon and auction. Hosted by The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, a volunteer group made of local business women and retirees, the event had nearly 500 attendees pack the Radisson Hotel grand ballroom to check out the seventh annual live and silent auctions. “It exceeded my dreams,” said Laurel Speier, Helping Handbags event chairperson. “You could see the ladies here in attendance had a lot of fun.” More than $75,000 was raised. All of the proceeds will go to Salvation Army’s programs for women and children in the Sacramento area. “Many of us here are blessed to have (comfortable) lives,” Speier said,

The Salvation Army officially opened its new E. Claire Raley Transitional Living Complex on September 20. The 35-unit center, located near I-80 and Watt Ave., will house families who were homeless. Each family had qualified for this housing program through The Salvation Army’s Family Service Department. All participating families may live in the units from six months to two years. Case workers will work constantly with each program participant to find permanent housing and employment. The living complex is also a clean and sober program. For those who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, recovery and prevention meetings will be available to them. The new program is a blessing for 32

“There was a lot of weed growing. It was really dirty.” That is the way 16-year-old Brianna described the playground area at The Salvation Army Oak Park campus. “Just didn’t look good,” she said. But that changed on Saturday when Brianna and nearly 20 other youngsters from The Salvation Army youth, church and education programs volunteered to help spruce things up. In a community event called “Together We Grow”, the kids, along with Salvation Army staff and other volunteers, worked collectively to take out the weeds, plant vegetable seeds and clean up all of the playground area. “We’re giving young people a good example of working together,” Luisa Lose, Salvation Army community center

The Salvation Army of Sacramento County is looking for volunteers on Friday, July 29 and Thursday, August 4 to help with the set-up of its new transitional housing facility.  The 35-unit complex, located near I-80 and Watt Ave., will provide reduced-cost transitional housing for working families with children. Volunteers are needed to help unload boxes of furniture, move them into the units, assemble beds and tables, and collect packaging for recycling. The weather will be warm, but there is a lot of shade outside and air conditioning inside!  Lunch will be provided along with plenty of cold water. Dress: Volunteers must wear closed toed rubber soled shoes. No flip flops or sandals, pl

A German delegation came to volunteer at The Salvation Army’s Family Services facility in Sacramento on June 30. The visit was set up by the Northern California World Trade Center, which is hosting the three member party. The group is made up of two state parliament members, Markus Blume and Roland Theis, and the mayor of the town Monheim am Rhein, Daniel Zimmermann. They, along with nine other volunteers, spent nearly two hours creating 342 food boxes in the Salvation Army warehouse. “People here (the volunteers) are really excited to contribute and help others,” said Blume, member of the Bavarian State Parliament. “We’re really happy to come out and help in some way.” Sacramento was t

Today, the kids from The Salvation Army’s day care and summer day camp programs had a chance to see Stuart Little. Not the movie, but an actual live production, performed by the American River College Theatre Arts Department. The performance took place at the Salvation Army’s Oak Park campus. “It’s great that we can bring this to a warm and friendly environment,” said Tracy Martin Shearer, director of the play. “That’s the thing about the arts; it brings joy, entertainment, education and excitement.  We often find that more than half of children watching had not seen a play until our performance." The latest presentation was part of the theatre arts department’s “Children’s Theatre Tour

After nine months of construction, The Salvation Army opened the doors to its new Child Development Center in Oak Park today. The education facility is two stories high and nearly 14,000 sq ft, and it is the home for The Army’s day care and after-school programs. “To see this come into reality is incredible,” said David Bentley, Salvation Army Sacramento County Coordinator. “We have a new education building that can make a real impact for many families in our area.” The Child Development Center replaces an old 2,400 sq ft modular building that used to house the day care program for 24 years. A capital campaign was started in 2008 to raise the necessary funds for the construction of a ne

“This suit is not bad.” Theoplus Dubose-Harvey was searching for some new work clothes on Saturday. He hoped to find the right business suit for the next job interview. “See, I got some shoes to go along with that,” he said. Dubose-Harvey believes the new attire will help change his life.  Because right now, he is unemployed and homeless. “Times are tough, “said Dubose-Harvey, a 55-year-old former state worker. “That’s why I appreciate the help I got here.” The assistance he is speaking of was the fourth annual Homeless Connect on May 21 at Sacramento City College. Dubose-Harvey was one of nearly 1,000 homeless individuals and families who attended this direct service fair. “I’m than

Spring break is usually associated with traveling and having fun. Well, a group of college students took that concept to a whole another level. Twenty-five students from the Energy Service Corps spent their time off to help weatherize different facilities throughout the state of California. The latest was a stop at The Salvation Army Center of Hope shelter in downtown Sacramento on March 25. “We decided to come here because they (Salvation Army) have done so much for the community,” said Abbygail Williams, Energy Service Corps member and UC Davis student. “The students just wanted to give them back something in return.” This weatherization event was part of the Energy Alternative Sprin

“This helps me a lot.” Charmar Randle was grateful for the assistance she just received. She was one of 1,600 families to receive food and other essentials from the January 18 Feed The Children distribution at Cal Expo. “The economy is so bad and that’s why you see so many families out here,” said Randle, a Sacramento resident. “It’s good that they are having this (distribution) right now in order to help those who are in need.” Feed The Children, an international relief organization, delivered four semi tractor-trailers full of food and other products to the event. The distribution was part of Feed The Children’s Americans Feeding Americans Caravan, which has helped more than 200,000 f

“This is amazing!” That was the reaction Major Jeanne Stromberg had when The Salvation Army of Sacramento received a check of $80,000 from the Sacramento Association of REALTORS Christmas CanTree. The check presentation was made during the CanTree’s annual dedication breakfast on December 7. The CanTree committee raised the money throughout the whole year by utilizing various fundraisers. “We wanted to do our very best for The Salvation Army,” said CanTree committee chair Tim McGuire. “The committee tried plenty of fundraisers like a crab feed and a wine tasting event. We worked hard and didn’t stop until we got to the goal that we had set.” The donation was $15,000 more than last year

The Salvation Army in Sacramento received more than 700 pounds of frozen turkeys from California State Automobile Association of Northern California on November 11. The turkeys were delivered to The Salvation Army’s B Street Center of Hope emergency shelter in downtown Sacramento. The donation was part of AAA’s annual Thanksgiving turkey delivery project, an effort to help meet the needs of various communities during the holiday season. More than 10 tons of turkeys were distributed by AAA to 26 Northern California, Nevada and Utah non-profits. “Our point of view is to give back to the communities we’re serving,” said Greg Jennings, AAA district sales manager. “The Salvation Army does a v

Socks were overflowing at the Foulks Ranch Elementary School in Elk Grove on October 22. It was the culmination of a three-week effort in which students from five Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) elementary schools and six other schools in Galt participated in the second annual Socktoberfest donation drive. During Socktoberfest, students collected socks to help supplement donations distributed by The Salvation Army. Sock bins were placed at each of the schools until the end of the collection. More than 1,600 pairs of socks were collected. "I want to thank all of the schools and students involved for another great effort in this year's Socktoberfest," said David Bentley, Salvati

“I was thrilled. I called my husband immediately.” That is the reaction Sacramento resident Cindy Nelson had after she outbid other ladies for a Ferragamo handbag during the live auction portion at the sixth annual Salvation Army Helping Handbag luncheon on October 16. Nelson was one of nearly 400 attendees who came to the Radisson Hotel for the annual fundraiser. “We have more ladies than in years past,” Major Colleen Riley, Salvation Army Divisional Director of women’s ministries and Women’s Auxiliary representative. “The event was well organized and the ladies were excited to bid on the purses.” More than 200 items were offered during the event’s live and silent auctions, including

The Salvation Army of Sacramento County hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new child development center in the Oak Park area on September 21. The new facility, located on the corner of Alhambra Blvd. and Broadway, will be two stories high and nearly 14,000 sq ft, which is nearly six times larger than the old education building. The child development center will be the home for The Salvation Army’s day care and after-school programs. “It’s a long time coming,” said Major Tedd Lowcock, Salvation Army Sacramento Corps officer. “We had been operating in an older building for years. So to have something new in which you don’t have to worry about and to have the extra space here is pretty